Control means for electrosurgical cutting instruments



R. HANRIOT 2,61

CONTROL MEANS FOR ELECTROSURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENTS Nov. 18, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed March 4, 1950 ATTOR N EYS R HANRIOT 2,618,267 CONTROL MEANS FOR ELECTROSURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENTS ATTORNEYS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I INVENTOR 33 L RAW/0N0 f/A/VR/OT BY MW .2 M Mm w 5 n? a O T q 2 l 5 9 4 1 a 1 M w m N n F Patented Nov. 18, 1952 CONTROL MEANS FOR ELECTROSURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENTS Raymond Hanriot, Lyon, France Application March 4, 1950, Serial No. 147,643 In France March 11, 1949 6 Claims. 1

The use for important surgical operations of modern anaesthetics that have a low toxicity, prevents the use of electrically controlled lancets in many cases, where the undisputable advan- 'tages of such a technique are associated with a considerable danger of explosion of these anaesthetics. These gases constituted e. g. by a mixture of oxygen and ether or oxygen and cyclopropane form, as a matter of fact, explosive mixtures, the ignition of which, by means of the spark produced by the electrical lancet, has already been the cause of most serious accidents.

The so-called Crawford method has been proposed, it is true, that consists in producing round the active electrode a sheath of neutral gas that is injected through an annular port round the latter and that is to remove any possibility of ignition. However, this method is efficlent only inasmuch as the gas current is not fortuitously reduced or cut off while the generator of high frequency current is still operative.

My invention removes this drawback and has for its object an improvement in the means controlling the operation of the electric lancet whereby the high frequency generator is rendered utterly inoperative so as to cutout any possibility of producing a spark, as long as the pressure and output of neutral gas are not both sufficiently high.

I have illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings, two embodiments of my invention. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general view of my improved arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the control pedal as seen from above.

Fig. 3 is a further view of the pedal in side view.

Fig. 4 is a general view of a modified arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section of the pedal controlling the arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of the component members of said pedal.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the same pedal.

Fig. 10 is an axial sectional view of a safety relay incorporated to last mentioned arrangement.

The arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 includes the following members:

A bottle 2 containing a compressed neutral gas, such as nitrogen e. g. and feeding the lancet I through a yielding pipe 9.

A pressure-reducing manometer 3 that lowers the pressure of the protecting gas down to a suitable value, say to 200 gr. per sq. cm. or thereabouts.

A pedal-actuated valve 4 controlling the op eration of the arrangement.

A difierential pneumatic relay 5 providing for the closing of an electric switch as soon as the volume of gas passin through said relay per unit of time reaches a predetermined value considered as suitable for operation.

A pneumatic relay 6 establishing in a similar manner, an electric contact as soon as the pressure applied reaches a value considered as sufficient for operation.

An electrically operated lancet 7 associated with an admission of neutral gas.

A high frequency generator 8 connected with the circuit fed by the relay.

The pedal-actuated valve 4 is constituted by a member urged against its seat by a spring; it is brought into its operative position, by a pressure exerted on said pedal to allow the passage of the gas through the pipe. Any type of valve may be used: thus, the yielding tube 9 connecting the compressed gas bottle 2 with the control relays 5 and B is flattened down as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 by clamping means submitted to the action of a spring ID that may be compressed when the actual pedal I2 is compressed, so as to release the tube and allow the passage of gas through same.

The output-sensitive relay 5 is constituted by two pressure-measuring instruments mounted in mechanical antagonism through the sliding system 13, the elementary instruments 5a and 5b being fed respectively through the upstream and the downstream side of the relay inside which the pipe 9 is throttled by means of a gauged port or a portion of tube assuming a, reduced crosssection, as shown at T so as to provide a drop in pressure across said portion or to either side of such a gauged port, so that it is an easy matter to obtain the throughput of gas by measuring said drop in pressure. As soon as the volume of gas passing through the pipe 9 reaches a predetermined value, the manometric instrument 5a on the upstream side exerts on the sliding system IS a stress that is higher than that exerted on it by the downstream instrument 517. A spring Id engaging the instrument a allows the shifting of said sliding system only if the difference between the pressures prevailing in the two manometric members reaches a predetermined value, said difference in pressure depending in its turn on the output of gas. As soon as said predetermined value is reached, the electric switch S closes.

The pressure-sensitive relay 6 is similar to the manometric instruments 5a and 5b of the output-sensitive relay. Said pressure-sensitive relay is constituted by a manometric instrument that is submitted to the pressure of a spring l5. As soon as the pressure reaches a predetermined value, the movable member I6 is shifted by the relay so as to close the electric switch S.

The switches S and S of the two relays 5 and 6 are connected in series so that the generator 8 cannot be operative unless each of the relays fulfills the conditions required for a reliable and safe operation and is thus allowed to close the corresponding switch.

The pressure-measuring instruments are constituted in the case illustrated by a metal cup closed by a yielding gas-tight diapraghm, against which bears a metal disc adapted to transmit pressure from the instrument to the other members.

Any other arrangement submitted to the mechanical action of gas pressure may, of course, be used as well, such as e. g. a piston adapted to move inside a cylinder or a Sylphon tube adapted to expand. The yielding diaphragm referred to hereinabove may also be constituted by a thin corrugated sheet of metal. It is also possible to use as a control member, a, rubber pouch contained, if desired, inside a yielding case that is not or is but little expansible.

The relays 5 and 6 defining respectively the values of output and pressure of the gas may be associated, of course, so as to form a single relay, provided the downstream manometric instrument of the output-sensitive relay receives the same gas pressure as the corresponding member of the pressure-sensitive relay. It is thus possible to use a pouch, one surface of which serves for measuring pressure, while the other surface is mechanically associated with an identical pouch submitted to the pressure prevailing on the upstream side of the throttled portion of the feed tube that produces the loss of head.

The electric energization is cut on in all cases immediately the neutral gas flows with a reduced speed as may occur through lack of pressure when the gas bottle is empty, its cock is closed, its pipe is broken through or stopped ahead of the relays, or again through lack of output, if the pipe or the lancet is stopped.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4, the lancet l3 may be fed, as desiredby the surgeon, with two different current values from the high frequency generator I 4; two pedals, lfia and i511, are then required, which pedals are both arranged inside a common case it as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 9 and control both the same valve [1 so as to cut off the passage of gas through the pipe when the lancet is not in use, while allowing the gas to pass through the tube as soon as either of said pedals is depressed.

This arrangement includes therefore as chief components as illustrated in Fig. l: The bottle 2 for neutral gas; the manometer and pressure reducer 3a; the case 16 enclosing the pedals 15a and [5b controlling the valve I! that controls in its turn the passage or the stopping of the gas; a box 18 containing a filter I9 inserted in the gas pipe 9 and the safety relay 2]; the high frequency generator M connected with two circuits respectively controlled by the pedals i5a and 15b in the case 16; the electrically controlled lancet l3 round which is introduced the neutral gas.

The relay 2| in the box [8 is constituted as illustrated in Fig. 10 by a casing inside which an expansible chamber 23 is formed between two elastic diaphragms 22, in which expansible chamher the neutral gas is admitted through the pipe 2 3 and out of which it passes through the port 25. The outer surface of each of the diaphragms 22 carries a copper disc 26 that provides when the chamber 23 expands for the connection two by two of the contact-pieces 21 forming switches in the corresponding circuits 28a and 28b feeding the high frequency generator It.

In each of said circuits is inserted furthermore another switch controlled by the corresponding pedal I5 or [5b housed inside the case it (Fig. 5); round the stationary spindle 29 is pivotally secured inside said case a member 3! shown separate in Fig. 8 and that is provided near its upper edge with an opening 32 and along its lower edge with cut out portions 33a and 33o. Round the same stationary spindle 29 are pivotally secured, through their ends that engage the cut out portions 33a and 33b of the member 31, the two pedals [5a and 151) that, as will be readily understood, produce through depression of their other end projecting outside the case [6 a rocking of the system in the direction illustrated by the arrow 34 in Fig. 5. Through the port 32 in the member 3! is fitted a rod 35 carrying at one end a, stop 35 that under the action of a spring 3?, bearing against a stationary member 33, urges normally the valve 39 and the diaphragm 41 cooperating therewith outwardly against a seat formed inside the small valve casing IT by the end of a pipe section 42 admitting the gas, while the other end of the rod 35 carries a, nut 43 bearing against the rear surface of above mentioned member 3|.

Thus, through depression of either pedal [do or [5b, it is possible to produce a rocking of the member 31 and consequently a drawing out of the rod 35 which has for its result to remove the valve 39 from its seat; the neutral gas admitted through the pipe 42 enters then the small valve casing ll and escapes therefrom through the pipe '34 that passes through the above described safety relay 2| before reaching the actual lancet.

Each of the pedals Ho and 15b (Figs. 5 and 7) carries furthermore on its lower surface a lug '35 to the lower end of which is secured an insu lating plate 45. The end of the latter carries in its turn a metal blade 41 adapted to engage when a sufiicient depression is exerted on the corresponding pedal the two contact plates 5f! forming switches that are inserted in the corresponding circuits 28a and 28b feeding the electric generator M. A spring 48 (Fig. 5) holds during the inoperative periods the pedal raised and consequently the admission of neutral gas closed and the electric circuit open.

When depressing one of the pedals i5a or 15b, it is thus possible to provide in succession for the admission of neutral gas to the lancet l3 and the closing of the corresponding electric circuit through automatic operation of the relay switch c and through a positive actuation of the pedal switch.

It should be remarked that, in the arrangement disclosedpthe lancet I3 is connected with the operative terminal 49 of the generator through a hollow flex pipe 5| provided with a connecting jack 52. This flex'pipe provides simultaneously for the passage of the neutral gas and of the electric lead which cuts out in practice any danger of a fortuitous stopping on the downstream end of the pressure relay, whereby it is possible to out out the difierential current outputsensitive relay incorporated to the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic protective system for an electrically controlled surgical cutting instrument adapted to operate in a body of anaesthetic gas, comprising a source of high frequency current, a circuit operatively connecting said source with the surgical cutting instrument, a switch controlling said circuit, a source of neutral antiexplosive gas, a pipe connecting said source of gas with said instrument, to form a protective sheath of neutral gas round the latter and round the anaesthetic gas body surrounding same, a manometric device subjected to the pressure of the neutral gas in said pipe and controlling the switch to close same whenever the pressure acting on the manometric device has reached a predetermined value.

2. An automatic protective system for an electrically controlled surgical cutting instrument adapted to operate in a body of anaesthetic gas, comprising a source of high frequency current, a circuit operatively connecting said source with the surgical cutting instrument, two switches inserted in series in said circuit, a source of neutral anti-explosive gas, a pipe connecting said source of gas with said instrument to form a protective sheath of neutral gas round the latter and round the anaesthetic gas body surrounding same, a plurality of manometric devices subjected to the pressure of the neutral gas in said pipe, one of said manometric devices controlling one of the switches in the circuit to close same whenever the pressure of a gas reaches a predetermined value, and means differentially controlled by two manometric devices and adapted to close the other switch as soon as the difference in pressure therein reaches a predetermined value corresponding to a predetermined throughput of neutral gas.

3. An automatic protective system for an electrically controlled surgical cutting instrument adapted to operate in a body of anaesthetic gas, comprising a source of high frequency current, a circuit operatively connecting said source with the surgical cutting instrument, a switch controlling said circuit, a source of neutral antiexplosive gas, a pipe connecting said source of gas with said instrument, to form a protective sheath of neutral gas round the latter and round the anaesthetic gas body surrounding same, a valve normally closing the throughput of neutral gas through the pipe, a pedal adapted to actuate said valve to release said pipe, a manometric device subjected to the pressure of the neutral gas in said pipe on the downstream side of the valve and controlling the switch to close same as soon as the pedal has actuated the valve to release the p p 4. An automatic protective system for an electrically controlled surgical cutting instrument adapted to operate in a body of anaesthetic gas, comprising a source of high frequency current,

a circuit operatively connecting said source with the surgical cutting instrument, two switches inserted in series in said circuit, a source of neutral anti-explosive gas, a pipe connecting said source of gas with said instrument to form a protective sheath of neutral gas round the latter and round the anaesthetic gas body surrounding same, a valve normally closing the throughput of neutral gas through the pipe, a pedal adapted to actuate said valve to release said pipe, a plurality of manometric devices subjected to the pressure of the neutral gas in said pipe on the downstream side of the valve, one of said manometric devices controlling one of the switches in the circuit to close same as soon as the pedal has actuated the valve to release the pipe, and means differentially controlled by two manometric devices and adapted to close the other switch as soon as the difierence in pressure across said means reaches a predetermined value corresponding to a predetermined throughput of neutral gas.

5. An automatic protective system for an electrically controlled surgical cutting instrument adapted to operate in a body of anaesthetic gas, comprising a source of high frequency current, a circuit operatively connecting said source with the surgical cutting instrument, and including selectively operative shunt circuits adapted to provide different conditions of energization for the instrument, a switch in each shunt circuit, a source of neutral anti-explosive gas, a pipe connecting said source with the instrument to form a protective sheath of neutral gas round the latter and round the anaesthetic gas body surrounding same, a valve normally closing the pipe between the source of gas and the instrument, a rocking member adapted to release the valve, two separate juxtaposed pedals controlling independently said rocking member and controlling respectively the switches in the corresponding shunt circuits to close the latter when releasing the valve, a further switch inserted in series with each of the first switches in the corresponding shunt circuit, a manometric device in the pipe on the downstream side of the valve and adapted to close both further switches, Whenever the pressure in the pipe reaches a predetermined value.

6. An automatic protective system for an electrically controlled surgical cutting instrument adapted to operate in a body of anaesthetic gas, comprising a source of high frequency current, a circuit operatively connecting said source with the surgical cutting instrument, and including selectively operative shunt circuits adapted to provide different conditions of energization for the instrument, a switch in each shunt circuit, a source of neutral anti-explosive gas, a pipe connecting said source with the instrument to form a protective sheath of neutral gas round the latter and round the anaesthetic gas body surrounding same, a valve normally closing the pipe between the source of gas and the instrument, a rocking member adapted to release the valve, two separate juxtaposed pedals controlling independently said rocking member and controlling respectively the switches in the corresponding shunt circuits to close the latter when releasing the valve, a further switch inserted in series with each of the first switches in the corresponding shunt circuit, a manometric device in the pipe on the downstream side of the valve and adapted to close both further switches whenever the pressure in the pipe reaches a predetermined value, a relay responsive to the throughput of neutral gas in the pipe on the downstream side of the valve, a further switch inserted in series in each shunt circuit with the difierent above-mentioned switches and controlled by last mentioned relay to close the corresponding shunt circuit whenever the throughput of neutral gas acting on last mentioned relay reaches a predetermined value.

RAYMOND HANRIOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,813,902 Bovie July 14, 1931 7 2,376,265 Meredith May 15, 1945 0 2,517,739 Tyrner Aug. 8, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 934,257 France Jan. 10, 1948 10 OTHER REFERENCES The Welding Journal for May 1949, pp. 502 and 504. 

